大乘義章 16.47

16.47

次定體性。此四正懃，皆用精進心數為體。體雖是一，隨能分四。故論說言「如一念燈備具四能，亦能燋炷、亦能盡油、亦能熱器、亦能破闇。正懃亦爾，備具四能，故得分四。」問曰：彼燈一念四能，正懃不爾，前後分四，云何似喻？釋言：立喻，法不一種，或取少分、或取多分、或復全取。今所立喻，少分非全，不可齊責。又精進中亦有一念具四能義，如一念道現起之時，令已生惑為因不成，名斷已生；當來惑果遮令不起，名斷未生。即此道行從來未起，今始修起，名修未生；添助前善令其增廣，名修已生。行就斯義，說如燈矣。問曰：懃數局唯在善？亦通餘義？論者不同。毘曇法中，懃唯在善，善大地中精進數故。成實法中，懃通三性。今論善懃，簡別餘二說為正矣。問曰：念處論說有三，自性、共、緣。正懃如何？《大智論》中，宣說正懃有其二種，自性及共。言自性者，論自釋言「為求道故，起於四種精進心數，名為自性。」共者，論言「精進為首，因緣生道，若漏無漏、若色非色，如是一切，悉為正懃，是名為共。」亦應有緣，文略不說，所策之行即為緣也。（此二門竟）。

Next is to determine their essential nature. These four right exertions all take the mental factor of vigor as their nature. Although their nature is one, it is divided into four according to function. Therefore the treatise states: "Just as a lamp in a single instant is fully equipped with four functions—it can scorch the wick, exhaust the oil, heat the vessel, and dispel darkness—so too is right exertion: it is fully equipped with four functions, and thus can be divided into four." Question: That lamp possesses four functions in a single instant, but right exertion is not so, being divided into four sequentially; how can it resemble the metaphor? Answer: In establishing metaphors, the dharma is not of a single kind; it may take a minor part, take a major part, or take the whole. The metaphor established here takes a minor part, not the whole, and one must not demand complete equivalence. Furthermore, within vigor there is also the meaning of a single instant possessing four functions: when the path of a single instant arises in the present, it renders already arisen afflictions ineffective as causes, which is called severing what has already arisen; it prevents future results of affliction from arising, which is called severing what has not yet arisen. This very practice of the path, having never arisen before, is now first cultivated and aroused, which is called cultivating what has not yet arisen; it supplements and assists prior good, causing it to increase and broaden, which is called cultivating what has already arisen. With respect to this meaning of practice, it is described like the lamp. Question: Is the mental factor of exertion restricted solely to the wholesome, or does it also extend to other meanings? Treatises differ. In Abhidharma, exertion is solely wholesome, because it is the mental factor of vigor among the wholesome mahābhūmika dharmas. In the Tattvasiddhi, exertion extends to the three natures. Here, in discussing wholesome exertion, distinguishing it from the other two is called "right". Question: In treatises, applications of mindfulness are said to be of three kinds: intrinsic, collective, and object-based. How is it for right exertion? In the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, it is taught that right exertion has two kinds: intrinsic and collective. As for "intrinsic", the treatise itself explains: "For the sake of seeking the path, giving rise to four kinds of the mental factor of vigor is called intrinsic." As for "collective", the treatise states: "With vigor as the foremost, the path produced by causes and conditions, whether tainted or untainted, material or non-material—all such things are right exertion; this is called collective." There should also be the object-based; the text omits it for brevity, and the practices that are spurred are themselves the object (this concludes the second section).